If you have an interest in supporting amateur radio emergency communications, typically referred to as EmComm, FEMA has a series of training programs available on the Incident Command System (ICS) which are strongly encouraged, if not required, by multiple public service and EmComm groups.
The appropriate courses are all free and can be completed on line. It’s a commitment of time and will help prepare your local EnComm group to interact with local and regional emergency service organizations. Further, it is recommended that these courses be refreshed every two years. So if you have previously completed these courses you may want to consider reviewing the material to keep it fresh in your mind.
For the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency’s (PEMA) Pennsylvania Auxiliary Communications Service (ACS) the required courses are:
- ICS-100: Introduction to the Incident Command System – Updated 6/25/2018
- ICS-200: Basic Incident Command System for Emergency Response – Updated 3/11/2019
- IS-700: An Introduction to the National Incident Management System – Updated 6/25/2018
- IS-800: National Response Framework, An Introduction – Updated 5/6/2020
Additional courses may be recommend by some EmComm groups, however the above listed courses will provide a good foundation for amateur radio operators who wish to participate in EmComm practice exercises, as well as actual EmComm incidents, in a meaningful way.
